Musical instrument



(No-Model.)

J. P. LUS'OOMB. MUSICAL INSTRUMENT. N0. 491,183. I Patented Feb. 7, 1893.

0 1 Y r 1 G 272 7. I v fig". Eu

Uivrrnn States PATENT @rrrcn.

JOHN F. LUSGO MB, OF MARSHFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

MUSECAL INSTRUMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 491,183, dated February 7, 1893.

Application filed August 18, 1892. Serial No. 443,433. (No model.)

class of musical instruments wherein is employed a head of calf, sheep or other skin or parchmentsuch as banjos, tambourines, drums and the like.

Previous to the present invention it was customary to strain this membraneous head by suitable devices after the skin had been passed around a wire-ring, the ring heretofore in use being a common round wire with a smooth surface. This membraneous head previous to its being attached is required to be wet or moistened in order to render it pliable so that it may be properly worked and consequently when passed around the wire ring it will slip and the head is never tight, and the more one tries to tighten it the more it will slip on the wire.

It is the object of the invention to obviate this difficulty which I attain by providing a wire ring having what I term a gripping surface that will take hold of the skin and effectually prevent it from slipping thereon,

as will be hereinafter described and subsequently pointed out in the claims.

Figure 1 of the drawings represents a sectional elevation of a portion of a head of a banjo showing the means employed for tightening the membraneous head thereof. Fig. 2 a perspective view on an enlarged scale of a portion of the wire ring which constitutes the invention and around which the membraneous head is passed. Fig. a cross section thereof.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown a banjo as one of the musical instruments to which my invention is applicable although it may be applied to and used successfully to all such instruments having a membraneons head that requires to be tightened.

The several parts of the banjo whichI have illustrated consists of the hoop A, the hoopsection B, the band C, the hooked-rod D, which passes through the usual bracket E, and the nut F engaging with the screw threaded end of the rod which forms a means of tightening the membraneous head G by forcing down the band C against the wire-ring II.

The several parts above referred to with the exception of the particular form of the wirering, are old and well known, and therefore no claim is made thereto, butsimply shown to better illustrate the invention.

The wire-ring II instead of having a plain smooth surface, has a gripping surface or in other words a surface that will effectually prevent the slipping of the skin or membraneous head thereon. To attain this end the wire is formed with longitudinal corrugations so that the skin when wet will adhere to the grooves and render slipping impossible.

It should be noticed that the corrugations extend in cross section entirely around the circumference or exterior surface of the wire ring, as shown in Fig. 3, thus enabling the skin when passed down, under, and around the wire, to embed itself in the grooves of the corrugations and firmly hold the membraneous head from slipping without the no cessity of the employment of tacks.

It will be further noticed that the skin of the membraneous head passes under and against the corrugated surface of the wire and consequently the corrugations should extend around the entire surface of the wire, and in this particular it differs from all other rings of this character and provides a simple and effective means for securely holding the membraneous head from slipping.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent. is:-

1. In a musical instrument, the combination with the membraneous head thereof, of a wire-ring around which the head passes, said wire having longitudinal grooves or corrugations around its entire surface to prevent the head from slipping; thereon, substan- In testimony that I claim the above I have tially as and for the pur )ose specified. hereunto subscribed my name in the presence to 2. A banjo provided With suitable means of two witnesses.

for tightening the meinbraneous head there- 5 of, and a wire ring around which the head passes, said wire having longitudinal grooves Vitnesses: or corrugations around its entire surface, JOSEPH P. SILsBY, substantially as and for the purpose described. GEO. H. ROYCE.

JOHN F. LUSCOMB. 

